I know this has been talked to death but a quick search hasn't found any threads purely dedicated to the subject I could have easily missed it though as my neogaf search fu is not at the level of blackbelt yet.
First, let's start with a few facts.
Iwata has said that the next console will "absorb the wiiU architecture"
Nintendo recently combined their console and handheld divisions
Iwata has said he wants the next console to have a flat architecture across systems
The wiiU has an incredible power efficiency
Next the speculation
The wiiU is a beast at performance per watt and given a few years to optimize it further (perhaps a die shrink?) it could reach handheld levels of power draw. Given that an average blu-ray drive consumes 25 watts of power if you were to make a handheld that cut out the wiiU's drive, usb ports, and unessential components you could easily bring the TDP down to next to nothing. Obviously the handheld won't be a literal wiiU but given a few years of optimization and a more efficient GPU from AMD the next handheld could be a wiiU in a handheld form factor.
Now I'm aware Iwata has said he doesn't want it to be a literal wiiU so there will be room for improvement. Given that there exists 1 teraflop mobile GPU's out now given a few years of optimization we could see Nintendo's next handheld possibly outperform the PS4/XOne.
Combine this with a docking station or some way to hook up to the TV we have a potential winner for a system that fits the bill for what Iwata has been cryptically talking about for a few years now.
Finally
I know your first response will probably be something like "There's no way Nintendo would go for such cutting edge technology" but keep in mind that Nintendo's Last 3 consoles have been based on failed ideas from previous generations. The Gameboy player was a thing and Nintendo has made handheld games playable on previous generations of consoles. Considering that the wiiU's architecture is still based on older designs absorbing it into a new yet more powerful console would fit with their lateral thinking with withered technology strategy. Making it considerably more powerful would not be an issue given the recent massive advancement in mobile tech and given it will take at least a year or 2 more to be announced/released I can comfortably say this console will more than likely be comparable to the PS4/X1.
TLDR Nintendo's next handheld will be a powerhouse that also plays console games.
Disclaimer I don't think this will replace their next console but simply play console games.
First, let's start with a few facts.
Iwata has said that the next console will "absorb the wiiU architecture"
Nintendo recently combined their console and handheld divisions
Iwata has said he wants the next console to have a flat architecture across systems
The wiiU has an incredible power efficiency
Next the speculation
The wiiU is a beast at performance per watt and given a few years to optimize it further (perhaps a die shrink?) it could reach handheld levels of power draw. Given that an average blu-ray drive consumes 25 watts of power if you were to make a handheld that cut out the wiiU's drive, usb ports, and unessential components you could easily bring the TDP down to next to nothing. Obviously the handheld won't be a literal wiiU but given a few years of optimization and a more efficient GPU from AMD the next handheld could be a wiiU in a handheld form factor.
Now I'm aware Iwata has said he doesn't want it to be a literal wiiU so there will be room for improvement. Given that there exists 1 teraflop mobile GPU's out now given a few years of optimization we could see Nintendo's next handheld possibly outperform the PS4/XOne.
Combine this with a docking station or some way to hook up to the TV we have a potential winner for a system that fits the bill for what Iwata has been cryptically talking about for a few years now.
Finally
I know your first response will probably be something like "There's no way Nintendo would go for such cutting edge technology" but keep in mind that Nintendo's Last 3 consoles have been based on failed ideas from previous generations. The Gameboy player was a thing and Nintendo has made handheld games playable on previous generations of consoles. Considering that the wiiU's architecture is still based on older designs absorbing it into a new yet more powerful console would fit with their lateral thinking with withered technology strategy. Making it considerably more powerful would not be an issue given the recent massive advancement in mobile tech and given it will take at least a year or 2 more to be announced/released I can comfortably say this console will more than likely be comparable to the PS4/X1.
TLDR Nintendo's next handheld will be a powerhouse that also plays console games.
Disclaimer I don't think this will replace their next console but simply play console games.